Highest Cancer Rate in N. America

[teguy]

Dear Sir,

I happened to encountre with this statistics in which it indicates that the rate of cancer is the highest in North America.

http://www.mercola.com/fcgi/pf/2002/jan/19/cancer_rates.htm

The rationale goes that - Since cancer occures in elderly populations, developed nations have higher cancer rate than developing nations provided developed nations have longer life expectancy.

If the above statement is to be true, why the rate of cancer is somewhat significantly higher in North America than Western Europe or Japan? - while W. Euro and Japan have longer life epectancy than that of the US.

My hypothesis has to do with the quality of food in North America (esp., in the USA), which prompts the higher cancer rate. In that, the low quality in food (e.g., high sodium, MGM, and artificial flavours/colours) leads to higher cancer rate. Furthermore, degrees of education in a given society has to do with the higher cancer rate. For instance if a country is highly educated, there is less likely that you'd see a higher tabacco usage rate, hence less cancer (here, I am only referring to among developed nations).

I have been to pretty much all the developed nations but among which, the US's food quality stands out due to its decisive inferiority over other nations (My friends from Finland call food in the States "synthetique food"). Also, according to my personal observations, Amerians smoke the most.

Would you think the above hypothesis to be the case and thus the higher cancer rate in the States? Or is it something inherently different (such as genetical exposures)?

Any expert comment is welcome (layman's comments are also useful).
kind regards,

 

[hotsexyangelprincess]

yeah, i think standard of living could have something to do with it, but life expectancy is also based on infant mortality, and since lots of W. European countries have been decreasing in population, there is not many babies being born, so thus less to die. You're projected to live a while longer than the average, mainly because you're not an infant. :m:

 

[teguy]

hotsexyangelprincess:

yeah, i think standard of living could have something to do with it, but life expectancy is also based on infant mortality, and since lots of W. European countries have been decreasing in population, there is not many babies being born, so thus less to die. You're projected to live a while longer than the average, mainly because you're not an infant.

Quite true. I looked up on the stats by WHO, and according to which, the mortality rate in the States is more than twice greater than that of W. Euro/Japan. While the birth rate in the States (14.14 in 1000 population), although one of the highest among the developed nations, does not differ drastically from other developed nations: France (12.54/1000); UK (10.99/1000); Germany (8.60/1000); Japan (9.61). [kinda does, heh]

Nevertheless, considering the fact that the high mortality and high birth rate are caused by newly incoming immigrants, and it is less likely that the primary cause of death among them is cancer (since they die in early age), I still maintain that diet and education are the decisive factors which prompts the high cancer rate in the states.

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

I still maintain that diet and education are the decisive factors which prompts the high cancer rate in the states.

"Dietary factors account for about 30% of all cancers in Western Countries and approximately up to 20% in developing countries; diet is second only to tobacco as a preventable cause."


World Health Organization
Cancer: diet and physical activity's impact
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/facts/cancer/en/<P><P>

 

[teguy]

Hercules Rockefeller:

"Dietary factors account for about 30% of all cancers in Western Countries and approximately up to 20% in developing countries; diet is second only to tobacco as a preventable cause."

Very useful information there.

From the same web page, I have also found:

"While tobacco use is the single largest causative factor -accounting for about 30% of all cancer deaths in developed countries and an increasing number in the developing world – dietary modification and regular physical activity are significant elements in cancer prevention and control."

Which sums up to the fact that over 60% (30% from food and 30% from tabacco) of all cancers are due to dietary factors and tabacco use.

Basically, if you have a bad diet habit and also use tabacco, and if you manage to live over 60 years, and also if you happen to be obese, you probably die from cancer... Heh, it's not difficult to tell who's getting cancer in the States just by looking at the appearance of him.

Anyway, thanks for the useful info.
best,

 

[Kumar]

Is it possible to relate imbalances in digestive pHs ( Stomach acid, bile & pancreatic sodium bicarbonate) due to modren diets & lifestyle with the higher rate of cancer? Imbalances in digestive pHs can be related to imbalances in digestion resulting in indigestion in absorption of various bio-chemicals.

Let us think,

Which type of absorption higher or lower (fats & others) can be related to more possibilities of getting cancer?

Which type of digestive pH effecting secretions (gastric acid, bile & pancreatic bicarbonate) i.e. higher or lower can be linked to more possibilities of getting cancer?

Pls consider all & progressive physiological effects. Accumulations & excessive effects due to "Higher absorptions" & defficiencies due to lesser absorptions esp. calcium & iron. Effects & progressive effects in internal pHs due to imbalances in digestive pHs.

 

[Roman]

I read somewhere that the Japanese and French actually smoke more than Americans, yet we have the higher cancer rates.

 

[teguy]

Roman:

I read somewhere that the Japanese and French actually smoke more than Americans, yet we have the higher cancer rates.

If the above is really the case, the Japanese and French must be eating bloody healthy for sure. I am willing to adopt to either Japanese or French food but they are quite costly and my current financial conditions prevent from doing so.

Conclusion:

Food in America is inferior.

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

If the above is really the case, the Japanese and French must be eating bloody healthy for sure.

No, that's not true. French cuisine is notoriously rich, fatty and laden with cholesterol yet for some odd reason the French have a lower than average incidence of heart and coronary disease compared to other Western countries. (I don't know about their cancer rates.) It's often referred to as "the French anomaly" or similar phrase. I don’t have any references off hand, but I’m sure you will find info if you look. Lifestyle (including diet) and genetics combine together in very complex ways to influence health and cancer rates. There are no simple relationships.

Conclusion: Food in America is inferior.

Actually, I agree. Having lived most of my life in Australia, I can say that American food (meat, fruit and vegetables) is inferior. <P>

 

[ladyprez1]

Cancer rates

When my friends moved here from Belgium they were disgusted by the foods. They explained that in Belgium the refrigerators are very small and they shopped daily for fresh items. Also things were not sold in the jumbo sizes we by here. I believe foods, lack of exercise and exposure all play a part in illness.

 

[Fraggle Rocker]

I read somewhere that the Japanese and French actually smoke more than Americans, yet we have the higher cancer rates.

In addition, the Japanese eat an enormous amount of seafood, which is saturated with mercury and other pollutants.

It's been suggested that speaking English is what kills us.

 

[river-wind]

The health benefits from omega-3 fatty acids in wild fish and the smaller portion size in the Japanese diet may offset the negative effects of mercury.

In a TED talk last year, a guy pointed out a group here in the US with one of the longest lifespans of any culture in the world; a group of 7th day Adventists in the South West. They were vegetarian, exercised regularly (walking outdoors daily rather than lifting weights), had grandparents live with the nuclear family (close family ties), socially interacted within the community on a weekly basis or more often, and also continued working well into old age.